Irene Preston's Historical Writing
ADLINGTON HALL
Adlington was originally the manor and hunting lodge of Earl Edwin of
Mercia and means a noble settlement.
In 1070 Edwin was killed by his own men. He was the grandson of Earl
Leofric and Lady Godiva of Coventry. Upon the death of Earl Edwin the
King gave Adlington to his nephew Hugh d'Avranches whom he had created
Earl of Chester. In 1086 the manor was called Edwinston but the local
people kept the Saxon name of Adeling, noble and ton. It was described
as having a wood 16 miles long and 3 miles wide with 4 breeding places
for hawks and 7 hedged enclosures for deer, known as heys.
It remained a hunting lodge for the Earls of Chester until the 7th and
last Earl, Jon le Scot, Earl of Huntingdon, who died in 1237. The
reigning king was Henry III and he gave the estate to his illegitimate
son Hugh Corona. After several generations Adlington passed to a niece,
Ellen, who had married John Venables 2nd son of William Venables of
Bradwell, who was 2nd son of the 6th baron of Kinderton.
John had purchased Norbury and Knutsford booths but took his mother's
maiden name of Legh and with his wife held Adlington for their lifetime.
Upon their death it became the property of their second son Robert who
had two wives, Sybil the daughter of Henry de Honford, and Matilda the
daughter of Adam de Norley. They were the founders of the Leghs of
Adlington.
Matilda had two sons Peter and John (who seems to have changed his name
to Macclesfield), whilst Peter married Margaret, daughter of Thomas
Danyer, and they received a grant of land on the edge of Macclesfield
Forest called Lyme. This was a reward for her father's bravery in France
with Edward the Black Prince and was given by Edward's son Richard II in
1398. Peter and Margaret were the founders of the Leghs of Lyme and
Peter Legh had assumed the Norley arms of his mother's family.
After the death of Thomas Danyer, Margaret was made a ward and then wife
to Sir Richard Radcliffe of Ordsall. When he died she married Sir John
Savage, who had moved from Derbyshire to Cheadle. He died and she
married Peter Legh. Their second son John married the heiress of John
Alcock of the Ridge near Macclesfield. They were the founders of the
Leghs of the Ridge.